Gockley, the Opera's general director, points to the benefits of consolidating the opera's facilities, currently scattered in seven locations across the city, including a scene shop at the foot of Potrero Hill and administrative offices at Ivy and Gough streets.

"Since 1980 we've spent $40 million in supporting this ramshackled system," Gockley wrote in the November Opera newsletter. "If only that money could be spent on the art ... or for a building!"

Opera officials caution that the plans are preliminary and no fundraising campaign has begun. But they do have a set of nifty artist renderings, and clearly some thought has gone into the proposal, which includes making space on the second floor of the building available for community use.

The idea is to include the construction when the Veterans Building undergoes seismic retrofitting, tentatively scheduled for early 2013.

The seismic upgrade is estimated at $130 million, but doing the two projects together would allow for shared management, design and construction costs, according to the Opera's report to the Capital Planning Committee.

"If I could leave one legacy to this company," Gockley wrote in the newsletter, "it would be a centralized facility."

This week's news

Monday: The Board of Supervisors' public safety committee will discuss whether a sit-lie law is needed.

Wednesday: The Board of Supervisors budget committee will have a hearing on the five city departments that used the most overtime last month.

Board briefs

Supervisor David Chiu: Introduced a resolution encouraging state and local legislators to allow Asian rice noodles to be sold at room temperature. State food regulators recommend the noodles be kept at 41 degrees or 140 degrees at all times.

Quote of the week

"I care more about the people at the jail... than I do about the rest of the people at 850 Bryant. What about the people in the jails? These are San Franciscans, my constituents, folks who are disproportionately people of color, folks who are disproportionately low-income and have been caught up in the criminal justice system."

Supervisor Chris Daly. He would have cast a yes vote for an earthquake bond if it provided money to rebuild jails located at the Hall of Justice at 850 Bryant St.